Rideshare Drivers Demand Better Pay, 70-year-old Driver Carjacked

Jackson David/ Pexels

Chicago rideshare drivers demand better wages promoting the Living Wage and Safety Oridence introduced by Alderman Roderick Sawyer.

ABC 7 News reports that drivers held a rally outside the Chicago Uber hub in the Noble Square neighborhood Wednesday, voicing concerns and frustrations about low pay. The group said they are struggling to make ends meet, as the majority drive for the companies full-time.

Sawyer's ordinance, introduced in February's Chicago city council meeting, supports decreasing the financial hardships of drivers by cutting out commissions Uber and Lyft take from each ride, putting more money in driver's pockets, increasing their income.

Drivers are looking to the city to regulate the big companies. "The gas is really, really high, and OK, they're charging a little bit more for the passengers, but still, at the same time, surcharges are going up. We're not seeing that," Uber driver Rita Vigil told ABC 7 News.

Safety is another concern the rally supported, as there has been an upsurge in carjackings in the city. On Tuesday, CPD said a 70-year-old rideshare driver was carjacked as he stood outside his car when two offenders approached and threatened him, then took his car in the South Loop. The victim was not hurt, and no arrests have been made.

The Living Wage and Safety proposed ordinance would also create a worker safety committee that would track, research, and report on safety issues, keeping drivers up to date on carjackings and other matters that risk their safety.

Uber and Lyft have yet to respond to the demands.